Kapitel 14: Chapter 14: Russians Don't Deceive Russians
While Bronie pondered over her new game and how to surprise Elysia, discussions about "Undertale" on the internet were intensifying. In an era still dominated by the Homu, the emergence of a storyline-driven game with a touch of heartwarming sentiment naturally attracted attention.
With increasing topic searches and sales, along with the rise of video creators riding the trending wave, "Undertale" was making waves in the gaming industry. In the seemingly unchanged world of 2008, the world was quietly undergoing changes, both online and in urban development.
However, there was still concealment about the Honkai, leaving the public's understanding of it akin to an urban Undertale. Some said it was just folklore, while others believed it to be some sort of peculiar illness. Regardless, it had become less of a topic of discussion as time passed since Sirin's attack eight years prior.
Human adaptability sometimes surpassed imagination. It wasn't that people were immune to the dangers of the Honkai; it was just that they had adapted to the point where it was no longer a topic of discussion.
In this environment, the St. Freya Academy quietly came into being. It all began with Siegfried's defection from Schicksal and the crash of the aircraft carrying Kiana. Unable to tolerate Otto's actions, Theresa decided to inherit Cecilia's ideals and establish a Valkyrie academy with a warmer atmosphere.
Of course, establishing a school required hiring teachers. So, Walter, who had been missing for a long time and spent his days drawing Homu at home, filled out his forged information.
Just as he was about to start writing and creating more Homu comics, he came across some interesting news.
"BGN Game Review: 'Undertale' Scores as High as 9.0!"
"Is the era of Homu over? Is the author running out of ideas?"
"A brand-new art form, a story of monsters and humans!"
"Undertale" had nearly dominated the entire gaming industry, even affecting works related to Homu to some extent. This caught Walter's attention.
With so many exaggerated news reports, there had to be some truth to them. And the best way to understand was not to be a terminally ill online ''gamer' or rely on unscrupulous media but to experience it firsthand.
Upon downloading Sbeam, the opening screen featured promotional material for "Undertale." The simple pixelated English title made Walter frown.
Could a pixel game really achieve such success?
Nevertheless, Walter purchased the game and downloaded it. Despite its size being less than two hundred megabytes, it boasted overwhelmingly positive reviews. Even with tens of thousands of reviews, achieving such a level of praise wasn't easy, considering Sbeam's somewhat credible reputation in providing precise evaluations.
The simple yet not monotonous music gradually played.
...
Three days later, the author of "Homu's Adventure" tweeted: "'Undertale' is a game that will be remembered for a lifetime. Although it's a simple pixel game, it offers extraordinary gameplay and storytelling."
The author's praises were evident in every word, along with a new exploration of gameplay. Before "Undertale," no one had tampered with the game UI or save files. Therefore, in today's internet environment, elements that almost break the fourth wall and strongly interact with players were indeed shocking.
At one point, Walter almost missed his interview at St. Freya Academy and almost forgot to prepare for the related exam. After that, "Homu's Adventure" went on hiatus for two weeks, leaving Theresa gloomy as she conducted interviews.
Walter's actions almost led him to believe that he hadn't performed well.
Of course, these matters were bound to go unnoticed by Bronie, who was now fully engrossed in his new game, "Spiritfarer."
With its entirely new art style, although still confined to 2D, its intricate visuals and various detailed actions were sure to make the workload for creating this game absolutely immense.
After handling the tasks, Bronie began to feel that if she had to do it alone, it would take forever. What should she do now? Should she really create Project Bunny to make it write code for her?
"Hydra: Your Excellency, what is the philosophy of our Hydra?"
This message came from her mind-hacked Grey Serpent, no, it should be called Ash Serpent now.
It seemed that the other party had indeed begun to act, but in order to establish such an organization within the World Serpent, some core philosophies were definitely needed.
And they needed the kind of philosophy that clashed with the World Serpent. After all, on the its majority level, internal conditions were actually similar to those of a church, organized around fervent beliefs to steadfastly resist Honkai.
"Haxxor Bunny: It may sound naive, but I believe the philosophy of Hydra is to 'Fight for all beautiful in ths world' and 'cut off one head, and two shall grow in its place."
"Hydra: ?"
"Haxxor Bunny: Essentially, the Hydra are immortal, so as long as their belief exists, Hydra will always exist. But that's not important; I happen to have a task for you."
"Hydra: Whatever the task, the Ash Serpent shall complete it!"
The Ash Serpent's momentum was fierce, seemingly prepared for sacrifice.
Generally speaking, causing trouble within the World Serpent would not lead to any good results, and the worst-case scenario might even result in being killed by other Grey Serpents.
Nevertheless, the Ash Serpent remained determined to complete Bronie's task.
Bronie herself was feeling a bit uneasy.
"Haxxor Bunny: Nothing else, just take my startup capital and establish a game company, mainly focused on programmers."
"Hydra: How does this relate to us, Hydra?"
"Haxxor Bunny: It's related, of course! This is to fight for all beautiful in this world, so it's relevant! It's not dangerous, and it's not your money, so just do it well, and there'll be a huge reward!"
"Hydra: Understood..."
It seemed a bit forced. Was he beginning to doubt the composition of her own words? But it didn't matter.
Regarding the art aspect, Bronie handled everything alone, and thankfully, if the projection ability could scan the visuals, theoretically, the workload wouldn't be too heavy.
The only trouble was the volume of text. But wasn't she already used to that? After simply planning and even binding the settings, she entrusted the Ash Serpent to cooperate on the other side, and Bronie sought out Cioara.
"Are you really going to make a game set in the afterlife? But can something like that really impress your friend?" Roughly looking at it, Cioara couldn't see anything special about this game.
Players who newly acquired the profession of Spiritfarer would receive their own ship. During their journey, they would continuously build their ship, making it bigger and bigger, while the Spiritfarer would search for lost souls in the ocean and ferry them away one by one.
"The pace of the game is also very important. I'm actually focusing on immersion."
"Um... Afterlife still allows for life, but then sending them away one by one, is that really appropriate? This afterlife setting seems quite comfortable, doesn't it?" Cioara pointed out that the afterlife seemed a bit too calm.
"For them, parting is actually a new beginning in their lives, and meeting them is also the end of their lives. Their lives are full of regrets. In this world, death no longer exists. If possible, they could even stay in this world forever, but such eternity is not a good thing."
"Eternity... huh..." Cioara probably understood what Bronie wanted to say. For some reason, she suddenly thought of the Flame Chasers in the Elysian Realm. They were also dead. But they also gained almost eternal life in the Elysian Realm.
Fifty thousand years felt like a moment; this was the convenience of data. Looking back now, the reason why they had remained unchanged up to now might not be due to data, but because of their inner regrets?
Honkai had not been defeated, and the successors were still inadequate. Or perhaps they were nostalgic for the real world?
"When one loses the courage to move forward and loses the purpose of life, life loses its meaning as well. In such an afterlife world, what meaning is there in staying there?"
If one pursued the meaning of their own existence, they would no longer remain in that afterlife world.
Because in that world, there really isn't anything else.
"Bronie."
"Yeah?"
"Are you really just a kid? And not some kind of dwarf? Should I schedule a medical check-up for you sometime?"
Thank you, Island Exploding Crow!! Speak a little more!
"Without a doubt, I'm definitely a fifteen-year-old girl. Although my physical development might be a bit delayed due to my experiences, my monthly 'debuff' is very regular. I drink a cup of warm milk every night and morning, and I also do stretching exercises before bed. During the medical check-up, the doctor said all my indicators were very normal. Why are you teasing me like this?"
"Sorry, sorry, I just feel that if a person hasn't experienced certain things, it's hard for them to have that kind of insight."
To some extent, Cioara was indeed impressed by Bronie. Because during Bronie's discussion of death, it covered the lives of many people, as if everyone's lives had a few close intersections, hitting home.
Seeking the meaning of life?
Before encountering Undertales and Elysia, Cioara had never thought about it, at most she just thought about buying a small island and getting a villa. But this time, Bronie brought her a whole new surprise.
Looking at the character designs of various characters in the plan.
After death, they would take on different appearances, which were the most suitable for their personalities, and they would only truly manifest on the ship. Perhaps it was because they had lost themselves on the island that they gradually forgot their original appearances?
"How much do you want?"
She couldn't expose her soft side. Otherwise, not only would he seem like lack in authority in front of children, but she wouldn't provide a sense of security to the other side either. So after taking a deep breath, Cioara quickly changed the subject. If they continued discussing it, she would become unsettled, and on the battlefield, a the knife would become dull.
"Um... how much does game development really cost?"
In fact, Bronie had no idea either. She just looked up the prices of music studios, recording studios, and art studios on the market. After careful consideration, it would be at least a six-figure sum.
"Are you kidding me?"
After repeatedly confirming the market prices behind him, if Bronie really went ahead with her plan, she might end up investing a million dollars. How many mercenary missions would he have to do to make up that money? And they were all high-difficulty ones.
"I can handle the art myself, I don't require original music, I can make a demo version first for the studio to polish, and I can also handle the programming myself, but if we want to pursue efficiency, hiring talent is the most appropriate. I'll be responsible for fixing bugs if we outsource, is that okay?"
"I didn't expect you to be so versatile. Why did you come to work as a waiter in my rundown shop?"
Unable to help herself, Cioara mocked. With Bronie's versatility, why would she come to her rundown shop to make a living?
"Isn't this seeking your help in times of need? And I'm also the kind of bunny who likes to repay kindness! If it were a pretty girl, I might even consider more intense repayment~"
"Uh, why do you talk like Elysia!?"
"Elysia?"
"No, nothing, just a friend of mine."
Cioara was a clearly a little strained, she almost said something random. Luckily, mentioning a person's name wasn't a big deal.
"Well, I'm the kind of person who repays kindness, so don't worry, with me in the shop, your store will definitely become popular! Even if you open a funeral shop, I can come up with one or two buy one get one free activities for you."
Patting her chest, showing full confidence, Cioara was also amused by Bronie.
"Well then, I'll invest in you, give you that dream opportunity, just don't squander that money recklessly."
"Russians don't lie to Russians, so rest assured!"
---
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Bismarck_Imperia
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Kapitel 15: Chapter 15: Demo Version Unveiled
"Is the busy girl finally here today? Should I issue you a dismissal notice, or should I give you triple wages according to labor laws?" After paying Bronie, Bronie immediately disappeared, leaving Cioara feeling anxious.
Russians doesn't deceive Russians, but now Cioara couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
Of course, it wasn't about her identity.
From appearances, Bronie's Russian heritage was definitely not in question. It was just the way she was named wasn't very Russian.
But she deliberately mentioned this point.
In Cioara's eyes, it felt like when someone claims to be a netizen of a country while chatting online of the same one, but there's a feeling of mismatched secret codes.
"Sorry, sorry, I was too overwhelmed by the money and didn't know how to spend it for a moment. You're not really going to fire me, are you? How about I become a shareholder instead? Then I'll be a shareholder, and I won't have to work every day, right?"
Wow, last week she was crying poverty, and now she's spending money recklessly?
"My bar doesn't support investments, and there's nothing worth investing in. Besides, I'm not short of money."
"True, but in a week's time, I outsourced the programmers, and I roughly decided on the framework. After finalizing the BGM yesterday, I sent it for final touches. Now we have a demo version ready, with quite a bit of content."
"Although I don't quite understand the overall game development process, isn't this a bit too fast for just one week?"
Finally catching a glimpse of Bronie, today's Bronie was still dressed in work uniform.
Her spiral drill hair naturally tightened up, exuding a strong sense of competence.
"Indeed, from a common-sense perspective, it was indeed a bit fast, but doesn't this show that I'm efficient enough?"
"Really, I don't know why you bother me every day. What are you here for today?"
"To see you. Also to help you a bit, and be abit sentimental."
"Sentimental... about the past?"
"I was adopted by a gang in my childhood, then I left the gang, and hooked up with a guardian who wanted to try an exciting life, but she ended up not doing so, so she started to pursue stability. I helped her with work in the shop while I was slowly growing up, eventually I left and searched for the life I wanted."
"Your ability to find yourself a guardian, you've had it since you were young?" Cioara was also slightly surprised. So Bronie considers herself her guardian now?
"No, I didn't consider you as my guardian or anything. I've always been quite free-spirited. Don't you like me having to help in your bar who can also cook and mix drinks and is also good-looking? And did i forget to mention I'm so good-looking? it's definitely a big advantage, right?"
Cioara wasn't good at cooking in any world.
Or rather, she could cook, but her cooking style always ends up like it came from a wild survival show, which wasn't suitable for any catering industry.
So her original plan to open a restaurant ended up becoming a compromise to open a bar.
But Bronie's arrival changed everything. However, those old customers only ordered when Bronie was around, making it seem like all the food she cooked was poisonous.
"Although I don't know what kind of so-called excitement you're pursuing, I still suggest you take it easy. So you're here to reminisce about the past with me? No way, my shop can't have you coming here just for fun. It costs money." Cioara actually wanted to shake off Bronie a bit, and even reached out for money.
Plus, Bronie was working on a game, and she hoped she would put all her energy into it.
After falling flat on the wall called reality once she faced failure there, she could push her into school.
Yes.
Cioara didn't think Bronie would soar to great heights overnight.
Plus, Bronie's usual behavior showed that she had a very stubborn temperament, so if she didn't turn back after hitting the wall when she failed, she could just slap her in the face with a suprise wall.
"After all, you're a shareholder, so you definitely need to pay attention to the progress of the game development, right?"
"That makes sense... So how's the progress?"
"I'm much more efficient in handling programming, so the game framework is mostly done. I estimate the overall game time process to be around twenty to thirty hours."
"A bit short~"
A game that ends in a day is indeed a bit short.
But it's not like you can play the game all day without eating or drinking, right?
"Maybe, but the important thing is not the time. After all, this is a rushed process, so it's short."
"That finished product, where is it? I mean, the demo or something like that. I guess you probably want to show me something like that, right?"
"You guessed it right, here you go!" With that, Bronie pulled out her laptop.
"The space under the bar counter isn't for putting computers! Why did you put the computer there?"
"Don't worry, it definitely won't affect food safety!"
"No, I'm worried about the computer."
"Well, rest assured, nothing will happen, I promise!"
With a completely carefree attitude, Cioara also felt that although Bronie sometimes seemed like an adult but when you really got to know her, she acts like a child. A very childlike style that was particularly strong at that.
"Alright, if I'm not satisfied, I might just stop investing!"
"Hmph, you don't need to tell me, I know!"
With that, Cioara opened the computer, and on the clean desktop was just one shortcut icon.
Cioara doesnt need to think too much, this must be that game.
Upon opening the game, tranquil music slowly played, and upon entering the game, the protagonist appeared on a boat floating in a sea of red.
The boat slowly moved forward, weaving through a forest of golden leaves, with a huge figure shrouded in a black robe standing in front of the protagonist.
The figure introduced himself as Charon, a retiring Spiritfarer.
It was because he was about to retire that a girl named Stella was about to take over the job and become the next Spiritfarer.
Perhaps because of the background music, the serene and soothing music quickly calmed Cioara down, and she carefully watched the plot unfold.
The game's opening was calm but also extremely stunning.
The art style was like a work of art, with a blood-red sea in a platinum forest directly indicating that the current surroundings were the so-called afterlife world.
The duty of the Spiritfarer is to guide souls through this place. In the depths of that forest, there is an arch bridge called the Everdoor
This is the place where everything begins and ends, the final destination of the soul. However, souls lost in the oceanic islands may have certain attachments or wishes.
When they fulfill their wishes and bid farewell to their past lives, the Spiritfarer will bring them here. After sending them through the Everdoor, a new life will begin.
As part of the tutorial, Charon turned into a golden light in front of the protagonist's eyes and then disappeared into the Everdoor.
Before that, he gave the protagonist a power called the Everlight, the symbol of her identity as a Spiritfarer.
For an indie game to become popular, it needs a stunning opening, just like how writing web novels requires three golden chapters. The beginning must be stunning enough to completely captivate people.
And Bronie was also exceptionally attentive in this regard.
"I have to say, although this opening is slow, it's also quite exquisite."
In just over ten minutes, Cioara's heart also calmed down with tranquility.
Yes, this is a game that easily brings inner peace to people.
The overall theme is excellent, but it's a pity that this is just a demo. If she wants to play the full version, she'll have to wait patiently.
"How is it? Feel like your money was well spent?"
"Although I don't know how you did it, it's really good. I hope the rest of the content can maintain this level of excellence..."
No, no!
Wasn't I supposed to introduce Bronie to my suprise wall?
Children should just study hard at home; it's too early for them to be making games!
But...
This game is well-made, and even uses the common Unity engine on the market. Bronie has really put a lot of effort into it.
"Do I even need to say anything?"
"Then I'll add another hundred thousand. Is that enough? If not, name your price?"
"My boss is generous, boss is great! Don't worry, I'm not the kind of person who flatters and gets carried away, so... feel free to praise me more!"
Hiss!
She's becoming similar!
Similar to who?
It's Elysia!
"This game is almost finished. If you want to continue playing, you can, but..."
Suddenly, Bronie changed the subject, looking at the game screen.
The protagonist was meeting the first soul, a friend from when she was alive.
"But?"
"There are still important farming elements in it. If you can accept the fact that the carefully constructed boat will just disappear like that, you can continue playing."
"Huh? Can't we do something about that? Like, help me save my progress?"
"The demo version doesn't represent the final quality. Just like some game testing versions delete the stretching animation in the final version, fundamentally, the final version may not be the same game as the test version, so you know."
It's just too much trouble.
Just like Bronie playing Night of Revenge in her previous life. With each update, the previous save file became unusable.
This matter to say the least, is quite troublesome.
"Are you doing this on purpose?"
"Huh?" Cioara asked if Bronie was intentionally piquing her curiosity but not letting her continue playing.
"Never mind, I'm not in the mood to play this game right now. Let's finish the game soon; I'm curious about what the finished product will be like..."
"As long as you're happy." Bronie also nodded and picked up a cloth to wipe the counter.
But her joy about the praise was hard to hide.
"Come on, I know you're a genius, no need to show off."
All her previous guesses were wrong, and her Suprise Wall plan fell through directly, but luckily Bronie didn't notice her intentions.
But then again, why was she suddenly so concerned about Bronie?
Was it because of that game?
Or maybe her mindset had quietly changed a bit?
In the past, Cioara definitely wouldn't have cared about these things.
"So, do you plan to stick to this line of work in the future?"
Now, perhaps it's time to discuss Bronie's future.
Actually, after witnessing Bronie's talent, Cioara wasn't too worried about her finding a job or worrying about her future life.
But she was worried that she was still too young and might encounter some bad things when entering society.
After all, Cioara had seen quite a bit in this regard.
Even in the gaming industry, such situations exist, right?
Capital investment divides the original team and suppresses their endevours.
"Not necessarily. How could I, as a genius, only know how to make games? But for now, I only want to make games."
"Even if you don't make games, the art style of this game is really good; it can be called a work of art."
Looking at the game screen on the computer, Cioara gently closed the computer.
If she took one more look, she might not be able to resist playing the demo right?
It has to be said, the opening of this game is stunning enough to make her want to keep playing.
The last time she encountered such a game was Undertale.
Although it was Elysia who asked her to play at the time, she was also addicted to it shortly after starting.
Really, why was she so connected to games recently?
She never had any chance to get involved before.
"If it satisfies you, then that's good. This way, my friend will also patiently play it, right?"
She is a bit envious.
Hearing Bronie say that, Cioara felt a bit envious of Bronie's so-called friend.
In the world of mercenaries, there is no concept of friends. If missions conflicted, with eacb other, one moment they would be speaking amiably, and the next they would be fighting.
She wondered what it would be like to have a friend like Bronie.
"Oh no! Oops!" Suddenly, Bronie slapped her head as if she had forgot something important.
"What's wrong?"
"By the way, Cioara, you live in the shop, right?"
"Yeah... it's raining outside, and you can't find your umbrella, right?"
It was then that Cioara realized it was indeed pouring rain outside.
"I think this weather isn't suitable for going out. Do you mind if I stay over?"
This question left Cioara speechless.
Rain was definitely just an excuse. Bronie suddenly making such a request made Cioara feel very strange.
But what threat could a cute little Bronie pose?
She just wanted to stick around her.
"I haven't prepared a bed or anything."
"It's okay, I'm small, won't take up much space."
"And I don't have spare clothes."
"It's okay, I took a shower this morning before going out, and I'm not cooking today, am I?"
"So, was this planned in advance?"
"Not at all, I just wanted to get to know you better, or maybe you didn't have many friends before and don't know about pajama parties?"
Cioara was speechless for a moment by this combination punch.
How would she know what the interaction between normal girls was like?
But...
Did she want to take the next step?
It's no longer a matter between mercenaries or within the World Serpent.
Its just Cioara the bartender and her Bronie.
In the end, Cioara decided to take that step.
Everyone has to take a leap of fate, right?
Besides, what threat could Bronie pose?
"Fine, but if you move around in your sleep, I'll kick you under the bed."
"Sure sure, when have I ever lied to you?"
----
Poll at Patréon, for a new fic in June and May.
AUTORENGEDANKEN
Bismarck_Imperia
Bismarck_Imperia
Want to read advanced chapters? go to my patréon for 20+ chapters.
patréon.com/PorterOfSomething
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